Cardinals DT Robert Nkemdiche headed to IR with knee injury

After the Arizona Cardinals lost to the Detroit Lions 17-3 on Sunday, coach Steve Wilks said the only injury of note was defensive tackle Rober Nkemdiche and he believed he would be fine. A day later, and that will not be the case, at least this year.

Wilks announced to the media Nkemdiche would be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, ending his season.

He will need surgery, though Wilks would not elaborate on any details of the injury or the surgery he will have. He simply stuck to the story that he has a knee injury, will have surgery and needs to be placed on IR.

Nkemdiche now becomes the 14th Cardinals player to land on injured reserve.

The Cardinals are now in a tight spot when it comes to the defensive line. Olsen Pierre already landed on injured reserve, so there now only two healthy defensive tackles — starters Corey Peters and Rodney Gunter — and Zach Moore, a defensive end who can play inside and did on Sunday.

Nkemdiche played 22 defensive snaps without a stat. According to team stats based on what coaches see from film, Nkemdiche finishes the season with 36 tackles, 12 for loss, 4.5 sacks, eight QB hits, six QB pressures, a forced fumble and a broken up pass. He is second on the team in sacks.

It is a disappointing end to a player who has been both promising and disappointing. Hopefully, this is not an ACL tear that would sideline him for most of the 2019 season as well as the rest of this season.